Later update:
Thanks everybody for voting and advice. Decision is taken – I am going for bright colors and everything else that looks good next to red. 
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I am moving in a new beautiful … totally empty home 
First thing that I need to fix is my bedroom. I am very excited and all this excitement makes me not see things clearly, so I would really appreciate a second opinion.
Let the best color combination win!
Searching for a house in Bonn is not an easy thing to do. Many new people are moving in the town every year (new DHL or TMobile employees, or students, many, many students). Obviously the demand is bigger than the offer.
I was lucky to have an agent that helped me with the search. It was a long road. It took me more that 40 days to find a flat. Still, I consider myself lucky because for others takes even longer, much longer.
You have to find a place that you like, to apply for it and then you will know if the owner thinks you have the best profile. And sometimes you just don’t.
Actually, first visit I had – put me in front of a perfect house. But the owner had more than one people interested in renting it and someone else got the house.
14 visits later I have found a house that suits my needs
Best online sources to find future homes in Germany:
www.immobilienscout24.de
www.kalaydo.de
www.immonet.de
www.immozentral.de
www.wg-gesucht.de (shared flats)
www.studenten-wg.de (shared flats)
Background: I have never made a puzzle. None. Maybe because my parents were buying me little cars and trucks that already had a final shape. Breaking them down was fun, putting them back … did not really interest me.
Then, I grew up and every kinder surpise that had a puzzle inside was a big disappointment and went directly to the garbage box.
Never before until now …obviously!
Continue reading
Romanian students in France have recently protested against being associated with Romani (Gypsies) that have Romanian Citizenship and can be found on the French streets begging or stilling.
Their argument? There are so many hard working Romanians in all Europe and many more in Romania. They wanted to remind this obvious and simple fact to the French.
It is true that the association does not honor me either, but I am trying to see also the other part of the story.
I am not familiar with the situation in France, but in Germany, I never felt being discriminated. Ok, people make jokes, people make sometimes stupid bad-bad jokes. But I have never felt someone has closed a door in my face, or has rejected or has judged me because of my nationality.
I understand the reaction Romanians that study in France had, but I also wonder how Romani people feel. Yes, there are Romani people that work, which are honest and think begging is degrading. They really don’t stand a chance and are judged by everybody for things they are not responsible. You do not notice them because they are not as laud as the ones that fake diseases or use their babies to impress tourists.
Gypsies were a problem in Romania, Bulgaria and a few other Easter European countries. But now they are also a problem for France, UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and maybe others.
So why complain over the same problem all the time and not try to find a solution? You send them back to Romania? Guess what? They will not stay. And nobody can force them to stay.
Efforts were and still are made in Romania to integrate the gypsies. Education is free. There are so many different support programs to integrate gypsies in the Romanian society. But we see them failing. One by one. They fail because it’s very hard to be perceived as more than a temporary guest in a gypsy community. They have their rules, their customers, their very well shaped traditions that are unbreakable.
I didn’t feel any hate towards me until now because the adults of 2010 grew up in a non discriminative environment. But other children are growing up right now. Arrogance is being encouraged. Bullying is being seen as cool. Ignorance is accepted.
Why are we going back in time? Why make the same mistakes again?
I do not have a solution for this very complicated situation, but that is why we have social specialists.
Meanwhile, I will be a good ambassador for my country. I am Romanian.
August 1st – Winter clothes collections appeared in all shop windows.
End of October – All shops are already fully decorated for Christmas, with all those Christmas trees and little lights and cute small stuffed animals.
Germans plan in advance and to things before deadline
This story is about the hill that I have to conquer.
Usually my objectives, my goals do not require physical strength to be achieved, but this time is about both body and mind. For one month I will be living in Bonn Friesdorf. This flat is close to the woods and the woods of Bonn are up a hill.
When I was living in the north part of the town, I used to go running along the river Rhine, where everything is flat and running is a pleasure. But in Bonn Friesdorf, the most appropriate place to run is in the woods and up the hill. If you manage to go up-up-up the hill, you will find a nice platform, where one’s eyes do not pomp out from the effort.
First day up the hill was horrible. I didn’t even reach the top. Second day was similar. With every day I increase the distance I run, but when going up the hill I mostly walk. It is absolutely more walking then running.
My time in this house is limited and I want to conquer that hill. I want to run from bottom to top with no stops.
Any advice?
German people in the North Rhine-Westphalia area of Germany take any and every opportunity to wear costumes. They wear costumes for the Carnival, for Halloween, for the Anime fest, for whatever local festival. And for one more occasion
Before getting married both groom and bride have to go out in the street with their friends for the German version of a batcher party.
Boys will be boys. Most of the grooms are humiliated by their friends and forced to wear skirts and high skills. They usually walk around the city and have fun. Of course, being laud and drunk is part of the walk. Best one I’ve seen was in Cologne, 8 men were riding a bar-bicycle, just … chilling and drinking a beer with friends on a mobile bar.
Girls will be girls. They are softer, nicer to each other… probably afraid that they might be next. I’ve seen a lot of future brides and their maids of honor consummated as fairies, angles or princess. They walk around the city and try to sell sweets.
I remember playing poker with more than 30 people a couple of years ago. In the beginning there where 3 tables of players, then best 10 players moved together. I was the only woman. People did not notice how I won my way until there. Everyone was focused on the favorite players of the night, guys that used to get together and play poker every Friday evening. When I won, they looked more than surprised.
Just a couple of months later and no poker meanwhile, I started playing again with 4 other people. New people, older people – and that made me want to impress. I won everything: money, jewelry, sad smiles. Quite a nice memory they offered me.
Then it came the 3rd and 4th time of me playing poker. I’ve lost. Very fast. I was the first player out.
I lived similar experiences with board games, strategy games, team games, individual games. From minigolf to fifa, from paintball to swimming. One big win with one game. If I want another win, I need to change the game and the people.
I am horrible winner. I am loud and happy and laud again. That’s because I love winning and one can only benefit of the beginner’s luck – once.
I’ve tried to explain myself why I cannot win the same games over an over again. Of course, there is the part with the luck, with your co-players not having high expectations from you and you benefiting of the surprise element.
On the other hand, it’s also true that I do not see any sense in having the same experience with the same people over and over again. I am very enthusiastic with games when I play them for the first time. I’ve won a poker competition with over 30 participants. Winning another one will take time and the enthusiasm is not the same. No real motivation over there. So why repeat it?
Note: this post is referring only to games. No hidden message inside
Romanian gypsies get married before becoming teenagers. For girls is almost a tradition to get married around 12. Unusual for my culture. In fact – illegal, inappropriate and unacceptable.
What always surprised me about their marriages? The divorce rate. Most traditional gypsies get separated only when one dies.
So, as I just mentioned – they get married at 12 and grow up together. They love each other, protect each other and care about each other well being.
I have spent a lot of time with a young gypsy couple when my grandmother was in the hospital a couple of years ago. The husband was the one sick: 28 years old and needed 3 sessions of dialyses per week. The wife was 24 and always next to him. They have 2 daughters: one was 9 and the other was 7. The wife told me she has lost the first pregnancy.
She spoke about her oldest daughter with love and she was very proud of her school results. Still… they were planning to take her out of school in less than one year because there was no reason for more education: the girl knew how to read, had some basic mathematics knowledge and that was enough.
Her family was afraid to keep her in school because she might get in love with a Romanian. She was pretty and they might have run together.
In primary school I was not thinking about dating. As I, also my colleagues we were busy with sports, competitions, beating each other up and of course – studying. None of my friends had boyfriends before being 14-15. So the theory of “running away with a boy” when you are 12 was not valid to me.
I have shared my opinion with the mother and I tried to convince her to keep the girl in school. She started to laugh loudly. When she noticed I did not understand her laugh she started to explain how their life works.
They get married and grow up together. They fall in love in time and it lasts forever. They are best friends forever. She asked me: do you like the children of your neighbors? Do you like your desk mate?
Yes. Obviously… I’ve answered.
But you did not choose them, she continued. They were there, you were there and you started to get along with each other and become friends.
She was right. It’s easy to make friends after 20 if you are open for it, but with my friends from primary school or high school no time or distance can change the way we interact and how much we enjoy spending time together.
Her husband is her best friend, her lover, her pain, the father of her girls and the provider of the family. They grew up together and shared the same dreams. Their build their behavior and personality together.
Gypsies don’t build separated lives until 25-30-35 and then decide which one will compromise, which one will have to change the country or drop his carrier. They never have to choose between and love & family and professional development, or traveling, or whatever else keeps most people single for a long time.
I am afraid of high speed, drunk people, heights (over 2m), dogs and most of the things that can cause pain, accidents or death.
Recently I have spent an entire Sunday in Phantasia Land, an amusement park near Bonn.
The park recreates regions of the world, so you travel from Asia to Africa in less than one day. I enjoyed the food, the background music, shooting mousses with chocolate and taking a ride in a 3/4/5 D room. Really loved the the water carousel. I am a good swimmer and looking at the carousel, even if one fells in the water, the consequences will be very small.
The most dangerous thing I tried was a carousel named: Colorado. It did not look dangerous and I was already feeling bad about always being the coward of the group. Bad choice, wrong decision. I kept my eyes closed all the time and I was hoping to reach the finish line asap. It was horrible. My body hurt, my soul hurt, I was afraid and I couldn’t say a word. I was hearing people screaming. They were not afraid, they were enjoying it. I was just upset with my decision; I regretted all the way and promised myself to never do it again … as I always do when I am in a carousel.
I wish I could say I overcome my fears, but my visit to Phantansia Land just reconfirmed that I prefer a different kind of amusement. I believe it’s good fear. I cannot imagine a situation in which taking a ride in a carousel will save the world.
There is some fun for me in amusement parks. I can always enjoy a nice ice-cream while taking pictures of my brave friends that are stressing their minds and bodies for a type of entertainment that I cannot understand or get pleasure from.
All in all – the day was very good. People made it good